Angels and Demons
by CasaNova73099
Summary: The line between good and evil is often not thick and distinct, but thin and blurred. Angels can be corrupted and fall from grace, while a demoness strives to redeem herself. Rated T for some adult situations, action-adventure violence and language.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Nova is back, all you happy people. Sorry for the lack of activity on my part. So much has happened since the last time I posted something on here, so I've been keeping busy (thanks in part to Hurricane Sandy). What follows next is a story idea I've had for some time now and it serves sort of as a midquel to my first fic: Raven: Soundtrack of My Life. Don't want to come off as if I'm shamelessly promoting an earlier story, but some events and things in here will make more sense if you've read Raven: SOML first.**

**Secondly, don't **_**really**_** expect to see a lot in the shipping department. While you will see some hints on some pairings, this fic is solely going to focus on the relationship between Raven and Terra as well as their thoughts and morals on the events that shaped Season 2 of the animated series. With that said, onward and forward we go….  
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><p>CHAPTER 1<p>

Chaos and order.

Honesty and deception.

Good and evil.

Three epic battles that have raged war since the beginning of time, and three opposing sides in which the line that divides them is not often thick and distinct as we think it to be, but rather, it is sometimes thin and blurred. Just think about it. How strange is it to hear of a person carrying out a criminal or dishonest act, only to later learn that he or she simply did it with "good intentions" in mind? What about a thief who – with a skewed sense of 'morals' - only steals from wealthy individuals or from those whose wealth was ill-gotten to begin with? The fact is, because such scenarios even exist, it is clear that it is not always plain to see in black and white terms the concept of what's considered just and what's considered wrong. It is also wise to note that what really makes a person "good" or "evil" are their collective actions, and to not immediately fault or condone a person based on their appearance, their personality or their past or family history. After all, even angels can be corrupted and fall from grace, while those of a lesser than holier alignment may find ways to both redeem and better themselves. This is a story of two teenaged girls who learned this crucial life lesson, two girls who were as different as night and day and yet as similar as the two sides of a mirror...

_'You've got to be kidding me…'_

Raven scowled. She was tangled up in the sheets of her bed and staring up at her bedroom ceiling, the Tower's klaxon flashing and blaring away as it destroyed the calm of the night. She then glanced over at the clock over on her nightstand to see that it read 5:52 a.m. The dark mage already knew that as a protector of Jump City, there would be times when the going would get very rough for her.

The late nights and tedious missions?

Totally understandable.

The vicious criminals and senseless monsters?

Just came with the territory.

Being woken up out of a very rare sound sleep at the crack of dawn however…

_'Seriously. You have got to be kidding me.'_

"I second that emotion," groaned Raven's sloth. The brooding sorcereress then resignedly drew herself from the bed and reached out for her trademark cape.

"No, no, no…" whined Sloth. "Bed, bed, bed…"

'_Stop it, Sloth,'_ snipped Raven as she clasped on her cape and lifted up her hood. _'Duty calls.'_

"Duty sucks," grumbled Sloth. Raven's happiness however burst out laughing. "It stinks too!" she giggled, earning a chuckle from her sisterly emotion, and an exasperated sigh from her mistress. Raven then phased up through the ceiling and up to the common area…

Upstairs, Robin, the Titans' team leader, was already reading specs off of the Tower's TV/computer console. Raven resurfaced several feet away from him and walked over. "Just got a report in from STAR Labs," replied Robin, his eyes never leaving the monitor, though he obviously suspected that someone else was now standing behind him. "An experiment just escaped from its Metropolis location, and it's believed to be headed our way."

"Joy," murmured Raven, rolling her violet eyes. Just then Starfire and Cyborg entered the room.

"What's going on?" asked Cyborg.

"STAR Labs," said Robin. "Apparently one of their 'little' experiments got loose, and there've been sightings of the creature near Jump City limits." He then looked away from the monitor long enough to access that something or rather someone was missing.

"…Where's Beast Boy?"

Downstairs and deep within his clutter-infested room, the Teen Titan known as Beast Boy was sound asleep in the bottom bunk of his bunk bed. He sighed and mumbled in his sleep as he affectedly hugged and buried his face into one of his pillows. Seconds later, a large black translucent hand came down from the ceiling and snatched him up. Beast Boy screamed as he was quite literally dragged from bed and straight through the ceiling, and he screamed again as he suddenly found himself on the floor of the common area with four sets of annoyed eyes directed at him...

"…What?" he laughed nervously. "What do you mean, 'what'?" retorted Cyborg.

"Beast Boy, did you not hear the call for alarm?" asked Starfire, a bit puzzled as to how anyone could've possibly slept through the Klaxon. Beast Boy however just shrugged.

"Was kinda hoping I was dreaming that," he yawned. "But seriously, dudes. Who starts up trouble at six in the morning?"

"That's beside the point, Beast Boy," said Robin, who was doing his best to remain cool and collected. "When there's trouble, we have to leap into action, no matter how inconvenient it may be for us. Now the creature which just broke out of STAB Labs was last spotted 30 miles southeast of Jump City. Titans, let's go!"

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><p>As the light of the morning sun began to creep its way into the mouth of a cavern in the Sonoran Desert, a spindly young teenaged girl who was camped out here moaned. She was never an early riser to begin with, and her less than comfortable surroundings coupled with her sore back did not help her disposition any either. The girl then rolled over in an sorry attempt to go back to sleep, but the faint vibrations rocking the cavern jolted her awake. Seconds later, she reached for her flashlight in her backpack. <em>'It can't be…'<em> she thought nervously, her light blue eyes darting back and forth as she shone her flashlight into the abyss-like cave. _'I thought I had my powers in check this time. How can there be a quake? Get it together, Terra. You couldn't have started another one in your sleep again…right? Right?'_

Terra stopped in mid thought and in her tracks when the sound of something chirping began to accompany the now steadily growing tremors. To be honest, it simply sounded like an insect, but the cave was empty, so Terra dismissed the chirping noise was only being magnified due to the scientific wonder that is an echo.

Or so she thought. Terra's blue eyes grew as large as saucers as a gigantic scorpion was steadily coming into her view. The thing was about the size of two city buses, and it looked very annoyed and _very_ hungry. Terra suddenly turned tail and bolted out of the cave, dropping her flashlight and leaving her backpack behind. She would return later for her belongings soon enough…

…That is to say if she_ lived_ long enough…

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><p>Some time later, the sun was steadily rising, and the Teen Titans were racing down a desert highway road towards the last cited location of the escaped STARS Lab experiment…<p>

"So what does our latest baddie look like?" asked Beast Boy, who was seated between the girls in the back of the T-Car. "The scientists weren't exactly forthcoming with the details, Beast Boy," said Robin, who rode shotgun. "We were lucky enough that a concerned worker there at the time of the incident overheard what had happened and then contacted us. All that she did say was that we would know it when we see it and that if it were at all possible, we should _disarm_ the creature, not kill it."

"Holy cow…" said Cyborg. Everyone turned to look to the left where Cyborg was looking. Way off in the distance down in the canyon below them, and running for dear life was a skinny teenaged girl with long straight blonde hair. She wore a pair of denim shorts, a light gray long-sleeved shirt with a dark gray crop top with black sleeves over this and a pair of dusty brown hiking boots. However, what had really caught the Titans' attention was her pursuer: a several-ton Arizona bark scorpion.

"Wow…" said Beast Boy, clearly dumbfounded."I think we just found our monster."

"What was your first clue?" quipped Raven.

"Ok, the game plan has changed," said Robin. "Not only do we have to neutralize that scorpion, but now we've got to get that girl out of harms way. Raven, Starfire! Get airborne, and see if you can either get to the girl first or slow that thing down. Beast Boy, you're with them. Cyborg and I'll catch up and then focus on taking that scorpion down."

The girls and Beast Boy nodded as they disembarked from the car. Raven was the first one 'off and running,' and she glided along the canyon's edge as she tried to survey both her surroundings and the best solution for the scene. She knew off the top of her head that certain species of scorpions were more deadly than others. That combined with the scorpion's size would spell disaster for both the Titans and the teenaged girl if it was provoked to use its stinger, and if that didn't immobilize a person for good, those massive pincers would finish the job. Raven accelerated in speed as the scorpion did likewise, nearly completely closing the gap between itself and the girl. The girl then skidded to a stop as she soon realized that she had ran into a dead-end and turned to face the enormous hunter.

"Titans! Go!" cried Robin, as he and the others grouped up on the canyon ledge above the scorpion and its prey. However, before any of them could actually leap into action, the ground began to shake. Raven's eyes panned down to the girl again, whose blue eyes now glowed yellow and she grinned devilishly. Her hair whipped around her as her leather gloved hands also took on the same golden glow, and as she raised them up, the jutting rock just beneath the Titans' feet broke off and began hovering above the scorpion. The rock remained airborne for a scant few seconds and after exerting much effort to hold up her quarry, the girl brought down her hands and the rock plummeted down. After a pain-ridden screech and a slight tail spasm, the scorpion breathed no more.

"She was not in trouble," stated Starfire.

"She was leading it into a trap!" exclaimed Cyborg.

"Question is…" started Robin.

"…Who _is_ she?" asked a flabbergasted Beast Boy.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

Terra smiled as she brushed the dust off of her gloves and looked down at the squashed scorpion that was once so eager to turn her into its breakfast. Out of the corner of her eye, she also spotted a group of teenagers who had just witnessed her display of strength and bravery. To top it all off, it wasn't just any group of teenagers, but the legendary Teen Titans themselves...

_'No way,' _thought Terra_, _who was a little star stuck at this stroke of events._ 'I've gotta go introduce myself.'_

With very little effort, Terra summoned a boulder from beneath her to rise up and carry her up onto the ledge where the Titans stood. Terra's eyes then panned over the infamous group of super teens who were still rendered speechless.

"What?" she asked confidently. "Haven't you guys ever seen a superhero before?"

The others continued to stare at Terra blankly for a few seconds before Robin finally stepped forward to break the silence. "I'm Robin," he greeted, holding out his hand for a handshake. "We're the…"

"…Teen Titans!" finished Terra, tapping her fists against Robin's. "Rock on! It's cool to meet you guys. I'm Terra, and you're…Cyborg, Raven, Starfire…and…"

"Boy Beast!" screamed Beast Boy, clearly over excited. "…Uh, I mean, Bass Boot! No!"

"…Beast Boy?" replied Terra, smirking just a little. _'He may be green and goofy,' _she thought_. 'But he's also kind of cute.'_ Beast Boy meanwhile squealed and morphed into a turtle and tucked his head and limbs inside his shell.

"Dude! He's hilarious!" laughed Terra.

"Hilarious? Me? Really?"

Terra winked and Beast Boy morphed back into his human form. He then swooned and collapsed to the ground.

"Curiosity abounds," said Starfire, floating over to her. "Please. Where do you come from; how did you get here; what is your favorite color; do you wish to be my friend?"

Terra blinked. Not only had the alien girl rattled off her series of questions in rapid fire mode, but she was also now looming over her. _'She's obviously not a big fan of personal space,' _she thought. "Um…" Terra voiced out loud. "Earth…walked…red…and…sure."

"Hello, new friend!" squealed Starfire, gripping Terra into one of her famous bone-crushing bear hugs. "How's it going?" replied Terra breathlessly, then struggled to compose herself after she was released, all the while a certain green (or brown if you counted the blush now on his face) shift shaper was eyeing her…

"So, what brings such a cool little chickie to our big groovy city, huh?"

Terra shrugged indifferently. "I go where the wind takes me, you know? I get to see new places, meet new people, stomp a few bad guys here and there."

"Cool!" laughed Beast Boy.

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><p>Raven, who hadn't uttered a word from the moment Terra was introduced to the team, frowned deeply. It was pretty obvious to anyone watching that her green teammate was hit at full force by the proverbial thunderbolt. Terra could have told him something as ridiculous that she owned the moon, and Beast Boy still would've been impressed. However, Raven also couldn't help but notice all of the emotions that were radiating from the petite blonde. Despite her effort to try and appear cool and confident, Terra really seemed insecure and a bit nervous. It was also almost like something about her was just a little bit…off… She then glanced over at Robin, who seemed to share her sentiments. "You mean you don't have a home?" asked Robin.<p>

Raven looked on intently for Terra's response. Robin's question clearly struck a nerve since she felt the geomancer inwardly cringed, though Terra also made sure not to convey how much the truth of the matter really bothered her on her face. "The Earth is my home," she responded casually and with a smile. "I've been crashing in a cave on the other side of the hill."

"Unacceptable!" cried Starfire. "I cannot permit my new friend to slumber in a lonely cave of darkness."

"I have a flashlight," said Terra, just as Starfire grabbed her by the arm. "You will stay with us," asserted the Tamaranian, dragging her away.

"Really, I-I'm…"

"Come on, we got plenty of room," said Cyborg. "Yeah!" Beast Boy agreed. "And I can make you laugh some more. I'm hilarious, remember?"

Terra laughed and caved in. "Well, I guess I could stay one night…"

Beast Boy, Cyborg and Starfire could hardly contain their enthusiasm. They all cheered and promptly began to lead Terra towards the T-Car. Raven remained in place, as she couldn't get over how easily Terra conveyed one emotion to the team while clearly feeling another. She then realized that Robin was still over by the edge of the canyon where they had first met Terra, and he was knelling down to examine some of its dirt.

"Everything okay?"

"Not sure," he murmured as he let the dirt fall from his hand and back onto the ground. "Something just doesn't feel right." He then stood up and began to walk off behind the others and Raven, who smiled to herself, followed suit.

'_What a relief that not __everyone__ is bowled over by this girl.'_

"Why would they not be?" asked Raven's affection. "She seems nice."

'_Sure she seems nice, but we just met her for Azar's sake! Still, I guess Robin sees some benefit in having her around since he didn't oppose the others' demand that she stay with us for the night, so if he's willing to welcome her into our home, I'll have no choice but to do so as well…'_

Raven and Robin finally joined up with the others who were filing into the T-Car. As usual, Cyborg got behind the wheel and Robin took his place in the front passenger seat. Terra and Beast Boy had already begun to climb into the backseat when Starfire gasped.

"We are short one seat!"

All of the Titans inside of the T-Car minus Cyborg turned to look at the backseat in question. "Oh, right," laughed Beast Boy sheepishly. "Guess we never considered having room for more than five of us at a time in here. You and Raven guess will have to draw straws, for the last seat, Star."

"You're not the only one that can fly back to the Tower," retorted Raven coolly.

Beast Boy laughed nervously again. Cyborg however just grinned.

"Now, now. There's no need for all that. I've been saving this for a special occasion, but I guess now's a good time as any. Watch this."

He then flipped a switch on the dashboard and the others looked on in shock as the rear of the T-Car quickly elongated and changed so that there was a secondary row of seats behind Terra and Beast Boy. Starfire giggled and clapped while Beast Boy and Terra laughed. Even Robin had to smile at Cyborg's quick thinking.

"Nice work, Cyborg," the Boy Wonder praised. "Way to think ahead."

Cyborg just beamed and turned to point at a lever near the bottom of the first row of seats. "Just pull down on that to recline this seat and to get to the back row."

Starfire and Raven nodded. Starfire then pressed the lever, and the seat closest to the rear passenger door reclined just enough to allow entry to the back row. She gestured for Raven to board first and after a polite nod, Raven climbed in. Once she was settled, Starfire pushed the seat back up and climbed into the T-Car next to Terra.

"We are all on the board!" she smiled, closing the door.

"Then let's roll!" cried Cyborg, revving up the engine and driving off into the direction of Jump City.


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm so sorry for the lack of updates, guys. I live in an area in New York that was greatly impacted by Hurricane Sandy, and believe it or not, I **_**still **_**have no internet access where I live (I had to upload this from work). Couple that with a number of other issues to juggle and was the last thing on my mind these days. However, I've been inspired to get back to writing thanks in part to one of my favorite FF writers coming out of hiatus herself recently to post a story, so I hope you enjoy this. Lastly, I tidied up the first two chapters. Not much has changed but you can still go back to reintroduce yourself to the story plot again…**

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><p>CHAPTER 3<p>

The ride from the desert back into the heart of Jump City wasn't a lengthy drive thanks to the high technology that made up the T-Car and to Cyborg's lead foot which was constantly on the pedal, but to poor Raven, it seemed to her that she and the Titans couldn't get home fast enough. For one thing, ever since they had entered the car, Starfire and Beast Boy, the team's most talkative and hyperactive members had talked non-stop, throwing question after question and story after story at Terra, their soon-to-be houseguest. On top of all that, Raven was still rather irritable from being woken up so early in the morning, and she wanted to get back into her room for some well-needed R&R, or at least have a small mediation session…

"I think you'll really dig Jump City, Terra," said Beast Boy cheerfully. "This city's got everything a teen could ask for."

"I concur," replied Starfire. "There are numerous cafes and restaurants of the take out. There are also many cineplexes, arcades, parks, and my favorite: the mall of shopping!"

"Sounds great," smiled Terra as she glanced out of the window. "I've heard a lot of good things about Jump City. It should be interesting." Terra's eyes then widened as she caught sight of Titans Tower in the distance.

"I can't believe I'm going to spend the night at _the _Titans Tower itself!" she beamed. "This is all so surreal."

"Well believe it, little lady," laughed Cyborg. "He's right," replied Robin. "Very few have been to Titans' Tower, and even fewer have actually been invited by us ourselves. It's not just our headquarters, Terra, but our home as well."

Terra nodded, the excitement of everything happening had her experiencing almost a sugar high of sorts and she practically bounced up and down in her seat for the rest of the ride. When the T-Car reached the bay, Terra gasped in amazement as the vehicle showed its ability to adapt to any terrain and altered itself so that it hovered and glided across the water. Upon reaching Titans' Island, Cyborg flipped a switch on the T-Car's panel, causing a secret door hidden amongst the craggy rocks to open. The T-Car entered down a tunnel and into an airlock chamber, which once the water drained out, granted the team access into the basement level of the Tower. Everyone disembarked from the T-Car and then headed for the elevator, and Beast Boy eagerly pressed the button for the topmost floor.

"Tenth floor," he chimed when the elevator doors opened after a quick trip upstairs. "Common area, kitchen and party central!"

Raven rolled her eyes while Terra gasped and hurried out of the elevator to stare out of the common area's large panoramic windows.

"Whoa, nice digs, and check out the view!" She then plopped down onto the large sofa and kicked her feet up onto the coffee table, and Beast quickly took a seat beside her.

"I can't believe you guys actually live here!"

"_Su casa es mi casa_," said Beast Boy suavely. "So do you want the grand tour or…"

"Got any food?"

"Uh, sure," said Beast Boy, a little taken back by Terra's unexpected answer. "What are you hungry for?"

"God, I'll eat _anything_. Haven't had a good meal in a while you know?"

'_Big surprise there,'_ thought Raven who studied Terra's skinny figure. Beast Boy and the others however simply nodded and headed into the kitchen area to prepare a meal for their guest. A short time later, the team had amassed enough food to feed the entire team two if not three times over. Scarily enough, Terra somehow found a way to pack it all away, and Raven along with Robin, Cyborg and Beast Boy watched in amazement...

"I'm starting to like this girl," laughed Sloth. Raven's intelligence however, who was clearly disgusted at the display of gluttony, turned up her nose.

"Somehow I thought you'd say that," she sighed. "Azar above is she going to be sick later…"

"You're telling me," retorted Raven's bravery. "This girl can't be human."

"Bravery, that's not a nice thing to say," chided Affection softly.

"What? You got a better explanation where this stick's putting all of this food?"

"But…"

Everyone stopped to look on as Starfire flew up to Terra (who was engulfing a plate of meatloaf) with one of her home world's strange concoctions. It was a green jello-like blob with strange looking pink bits floating around in it…

"Might you now wish to partake of my homemade glorg?"

"NOOO!" screamed the other Titans simultaneously, but Starfire paid them no heed. Neither did Terra for that matter, and she down the gelatinous monstrosity down in one gulp. After a few tense seconds, Terra smacked her lips together…

"Tastes like sushi mixed with ice cream." She then licked the plate and handed it back to Starfire. "Got any more?"

Everyone except Starfire stood with mouths agape, and the Tamaranean princess was all aglow. "I shall and cultivate the fungus," she exclaimed and flew off to prepare more "glorg" for her houseguest. "Oh my," said Affection, feeling a little queasy, while Sloth roared with laughter and Bravery, Intelligence and several other of Raven's emotions simply shook their heads.

"Yep, definitely not human…"

A few hours later, Terra was more settled in at the Tower. After gorging on both Earthly and Tamaranean dishes, she ended her day with a nice long hot bath, rinsed out her clothes and hung them up to air dry in the common area. She then stretched out on the couch to relax, her headphones blaring tunes from her favorite rock station. A short time later, Terra was drifting off to Slumberland...

"She needs more than a place to crash," said Robin as he and the other Titans sat in the dining area to observe Terra.

"She needs a home," replied Starfire with concern.

"Why not our home?" asked Beast Boy. "She could stay here with us."

"Yes!" agreed Starfire. "I don't know," said Raven hesitantly. Cyborg meanwhile threw in his two cents.

"She _would_ make a good addition to the team."

"Maybe," said Robin with some uncertainty. "Let's ask her to train with us tomorrow. We need to see what she can do."

"Alright!" cheered Beast Boy while Starfire giggled and clapped and Cyborg nodded. Raven sighed and then nodded slightly.

"Alright…"

"Fine then," said Robin. "Tomorrow's training session starts at 0900 hours. See you in the AM, team…"


	4. Chapter 4

**I apologize for the hiatus on this fic. Got distracted by some visual novels and other matters. Hopefully this time around, I'll be updating more frequently. Therefore please read, review & enjoy…**

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><p>CHAPTER 4<p>

"_Let's ask her to train with us tomorrow. We need to see what she can do. See what she can do. See what she can do…"_

Terra awoke with a start and looked around nervously, only to remember that she was on the couch at Titans' Tower. After she collected herself, Terra rose from the couch and walked over to one of the large windows that overlooked the bay and the city. It was a little before midnight, and the city at night looked beautiful with all of its lights shimmering in the inky blackness of twilight and reflecting off of the bay's crystal clear waters. However the view which was once so fascinating earlier in the day was now lost on the blonde geomancer. She then looked at her clothes which hung on the clothesline, and while they were still a tad damp, Terra promptly discarded her bathrobe and towel and changed back into her clothes. She then headed for the elevator and pressed the button for the lobby level.

"_Let's ask her to train with us tomorrow. We need to see what she can do."_

Terra closed her eyes and sighed. While she did have her headphones on and while she was nodding off to sleep, Robin's words from earlier that night still reached Terra's ears, and unbeknownst to him and the Titans, Robin's words also struck a nerve since they reminded Terra of…that woman…

"_Come along, Liebchen…"_

Terra opened her eyes to find herself not in the elevator shaft of Titans' Tower, but in a cold, sterile, high-tech science lab. She then looked over her shoulder to find a middle-aged woman with short graying brown hair and stern brown eyes who was also dressed in a white lab coat.

"_Let us see what you can do, eh Tara?"_

Terra nodded absentmindedly and walked alongside of the female doctor to an outdoor observation chamber. The doctor took her seat at a console while Terra headed for the chamber's entrance. The chamber door slammed shut and Terra walked into the middle of the field, which was a cold, barren looking area littered with crevices and craggy rocks.

"February 25, 1999. This is Dr. Helga Jace with test subject Tara Markov. Study case G203 commences in 10, 9, 8..."

Terra lowered her goggles over her eyes, clenched her fists and waited for the countdown to finish. At the sound of the horn, she took off running and summoned her powers to cause a boulder to elevate her above the fighting field. Moments after she took to the air, several robot drones also took to the sky and honed into on Terra. Now having to multitask, Terra struggled to keep control as one hand steered her stony 'aircraft' while the other constantly ripped chunks of mountain and earth to hurl at each robot. However, Terra failed to notice that one robot had escaped her line of sight, and the second she did realized it, it was too late. The robot had already stuck up behind Terra and locked onto her with a vise-like grip, and with both of her arms now restricted, Terra and the robot began to rapidly fall back to the ground. Terra's eyes widened since she was several hundred feet up, and she struggled to break free from the robot's grasp. Her mind went into overdrive and she finally managed to summon a column of earth to shoot up from one of the craggy rock forms, effectively freeing her and knocking her assailant off balance. She then lowered the column so that she was only few yards from the earth, and from the safety of her perch, Terra frantically searched for the robot, which was now plummeting downward. After jumping and touching down on the ground safely, Terra quickly used her powers to rip a huge piece of the stone column to snag the robot on its way down and it crashed with an almost sickening crunch. Not satisfied that the robot was truly down for the count, Terra summoned piece after piece after piece of the stone column to flatten the destroyed robot until it was nothing but scrap metal, frayed wires and spilt oil. It was also only then when Tara realized that Dr. Jace had been screaming at her to stop for the past five minutes…

"Tara! That is enough! Stand down!"

Terra hesitantly stopped her excessive assault and the observation chamber door hissed opened. The blonde preteen panted heavily as she watched the doctor slowly make her way over to her and then lifted her googles from her eyes.

"You need to learn some self-control, Ms. Markov."

"Wasn't it you who always told me that the bad guys never show restraint on kids simply because they're kids?" snipped Terra. "Those robots would've killed me if I gave them the chance."

"I know what I told you, Tara, but you still used unnecessarily excessive force to achieve your goal. You also allow yourself to get distracted, which in turn allowed Prototype 207 the opening of opportunity in the first place. Therefore and quite ironically, it was you, or rather your own carelessness which gave your opponent the chance to destroy you."

Hearing this, Terra sucked her teeth, and Dr. Jace glared at her. "Mind your tone, Tara. You asked me when we started your training to be always truthful with you. You need to learn how to take criticism when it's given to you."

"Whatever," scowled Terra as she started to walk away. "I'm not finished," said Dr. Jace. "Tara, you need to stop treating the whole world as if it were your enemy. You ought to know and understand by now that I'm not your enemy. You also need to stop blaming me for your…current state. I strongly cautioned you that my research on geomancy was still in the testing phase. No one tricked or coerced you into using my machine. You knowingly went ahead despite the dangers it could have brought you. At least have the humility to heed my advice and to enlist whatever help I can give you."

Terra stared back at Dr. Jace with hateful eyes, though unshed tears threatened to spill forth. She then turned on her heel and ran out of the observation chamber and back to her dorm room.

That was also coincidentally the last time Terra and Doctor Jace both saw and spoke with each other…

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><p>Terra walked along the shore of Titans' Island, the waves lapping gently against the rocks lining the coast. While Terra was most familiar and comfortable on solid ground, there was just something about walking along the beach that was equally soothing. Perhaps it was because it reminded her of her first home which was along the coast of the Belgium Sea. Perhaps it was because it reminded Terra of the simpler times that she spent with her mother…<p>

"I wonder what you're doing now," said Terra to herself, as she telekinetically picked up a stone and skipped it across the water.

"So… I'm guessing the couch was too lumpy?"

Terra smiled lightly as she glanced over to see Beast Boy walk over and then take a seat beside her. After telekinetically skipping another stone, Beast Boy eagerly snatched one up and tossed it, only to watch sink like well…a stone. Terra giggled and after clearing her throat, she "handed" Beast Boy another pebble and encouraged him to give it another go. This time he succeeded, and the stone skipped four times. Beast Boy laughed and touched his arm, massaging his imaginary muscles, causing Terra to sigh sarcastically and then make a face when Beast Boy made a face at her. Before they knew it, the two teens were giggling and laughing like they were the best of friends. Terra blushed and then turned away, embarrassed that she had let down her guard, and even more so that she was getting flustered and even a little attached to a boy she hardly knew. She was a bit worried, because while Beast Boy and the Titans for the most part were friendly towards her, she was still apprehensive if she could really call them her friends. She was still apprehensive that she had finally found a place to call home. After all, she had been searching for a home and searching for true friends for the past four years…

"I can't stay," she sighed, bringing her knees up to her chest. Beast Boy looked at her in confusion.

"Why not?"

Terra shrugged and tried to sound indifferent. "Places to go, people to see," she murmured.

"Come on. You know you wanna stay. We've got free cable, indoor plumbing and all the tofu you could eat."

Terra had to laugh. "Tofu? You sure know how to charm a girl. I..I guess I could hang out for a least one more day."

Beast Boy was ecstatic. "Awesome! We're gonna have so much fun, and I can't wait to see what your powers do when you _really _come them loose!"

While Beast Boy was talking, Terra smiled, but upon mentioning her powers, she became nervous. Even after four years of having geomancy, she still didn't have full control over her powers, and tomorrow, five of the world's most talented superheroes were going to access her skills? Her very skills that could determine if she too could be a true hero? What would they say if she stumbled or worse yet, fail? What would Beast Boy, who seemed to like her and put all of his trust and faith in her say if she failed?"

"Ooff! Doh!"

Terra's eyes widened. While she was panicking, she had unwittingly unleashed her powers and had levitated the stone that Beast Boy was sitting on. She then lost control of the boulder, which fell into the water and splashed Beast Boy, who had landed awkwardly on his duff. Mortified, Terra shot up to her feet, and was quick to hit the apology button.

"Sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm so _stupid!_ Don't tell! Please don't tell."

Beast Boy looked at her sympathetically. "Terra, it's ok," he responded. "You can't totally control your powers. So what?"

'_How can he say that so casually?'_ thought Terra. "Promise me you won't tell anybody!" she shouted. "Ever!"

Beast Boy appeared shocked at her hysterical demeanor. This was the first time since they met that Terra revealed a different side to her laid-back and hip personality, and it unnerved him a bit. _'Nobody's perfect,'_ he thought. _'Why does she feel that she has to be?'_

"Sure."

"Swear it!" she frowned. "Ok, ok!" said Beast Boy, coaxing her to both back off and relax. "I promise, but really, it's no big deal. If my friends knew, they'd still like you."

Terra turned her back to Beast Boy and held her arms close to her chest, the doubt and fear still engulfing her mind and body.

"You just don't understand."

Beast Boy stood silently for a moment and then tenderly placed a hand on her shoulder. "Then make me understand, Terra."

Terra turned back to face Beast Boy head on. Any hint of humor or childishness that made up his very being had escaped him, and he was intently staring at her.

"If I did, you'll never look at me the same way," she said sadly.

"If I told you about _my _past, would you trust me enough to do the same?" he said softly. "Would you look at _me_ any differently?"

Terra stuttered. She never thought about what could have possibly led Beast Boy down the path he was on. Was it possible that he too had his own demons to fight? Could he really understand why she felt the way she did? Terra sighed and then closed her eyes, silently praying that what she was about to do next was the right decision.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

"If I told you about _my _past, would you trust me enough to do the same? Would you look at _me_ any differently?"

Terra stuttered. She never thought about what could have possibly led Beast Boy down the path he was on. Was it possible that he too had his own demons to fight? Could he really understand why she felt the way she did? Terra sighed and then closed her eyes, silently praying that what she was about to do next was the right decision.

"I was born in a tiny shack in Europe," she started hesitantly. "My parents weren't married to each other, and while they never came out and said it, I know they look at me as an accident, an 'oopsy –baby'. My folks and their peers all looked at me like I was a freak, that I didn't belong in their world. Then came the time when my parents during one of Dad's visits told me that my mom and I we're going to have to leave for the States. They tried to convince me that it was because things were getting dangerous there and that a war was coming, but I wasn't an idiot. I knew there was more to that story. It was right around that time that I heard of this local scientist who was performing some sort of secret experiment that would allow humans to manipulate rocks and the very earth. Such powers would make a person truly a force to be reckoned with, and I wanted that power. I wanted that power to make my parents – and my country – proud of me…"

"So, what happened?" asked a spell-bound Beast Boy. Terra shook her head and clinched her fists.

"I'll be damned if I actually knew. What I do know is that after sneaking into the doctor's lab and using her technology, I could now move, alter and manipulate anything that was made out of rock, dirt, and or sand. It was also very wearing on my body, and despite undergoing intense training, I didn't feel like I was getting any where with it. I also didn't see eye to eye with the doctor whose machine granted me my powers. That plus the fact that my broken family was falling even further apart convinced me to strike it out on my own. I packed up my things, and set out into the world. Saw a lot of sights, and met a lot of folks from Belgium, France, Ireland, Canada and of course here, but I could never really feel at home in one place for very long. I just…had to keep moving…"

Things grew silent between the two teens, the only sound coming from the call of the seagulls and the waters of the bay splashing against the coastline.

"I wasn't born with my powers either."

Terra looked at him in disbelief. "What?"

"I..had gotten very sick as a kid. My parents were really talented doctors and scientists, and I had gotten a disease in which no man has ever survived from. In order to save my life, my parents used an experimental medicine. I was fine after that, well, if you count turning green and being able to change into the shape of any animal or insect as being fine."

"Do you blame your parents for it?"

"I don't know," said Beast Boy sadly, taking another stone and skipping it across the water. "On one hand, what they did saved my life, and on the other, it changed my life forever. Then again, they cared enough about me to do what they did. They lost some credibility in the science and medicine field for what they did was ethically unsound, and they got a lot of flak from other people when they saw me. Still, they took things pretty well. Only makes me wish even more that I could've returned the favor."

"Returned the favor?"

"…They died in a boating accident seven years ago. Had I kept a cool head, maybe shifted into a hippo or a crocodile or…something…"

Terra hesitantly rested a hand on his shoulder. "Hey…"

Beast Boy turned to look at her. He looked to be on the verge of tears.

"You were only a kid, Beast Boy, and under the circumstances, even an adult or a superhero would've found it hard to keep a cool head and just leap in to the rescue. It wasn't your fault."

Beast Boy nodded and wiped his eyes. "I know. Doesn't make it hurt any less though."

Terra nodded. "If it's any consolation," she said timidly. "I know your parents would be, no, _are_ proud of you. You do so many cool and brave things, Beast Boy, and you're a funny and great guy."

Beast Boy smiled. "Thanks, Terra. You're pretty cool and brave yourself if you've travel around the world on your own. That's why I know that tomorrow you'll ace the training session. I know you can do it."

Terra smiled at Beast Boy, then shivered slightly. "It's getting cold out here."

"Yeah, and it's getting late. We better hit the hay if we're going to be ready for meeting the others at nine."

Terra nodded and the two began to make their way back into the Tower…

* * *

><p>Raven stared from her seat at the control panel. It was several minutes after 9:00 a.m., and after the team drew names at random, both Cyborg and Terra had already run the obstacle course. She was surprised that Terra had not only finished the course, but even beat Cyborg's best track record, and the blonde stood down below as Starfire, Cyborg and Beast Boy ecstatically cheered at her triumph Meanwhile, still rooted to her seat, Raven watched the scene with a strange whirlwind of emotions swirling about her…<p>

'_Who does she think she is?'_

"What do you mean, Raven?" asked Raven's timidity. _'I'm talking about Terra. She's a complete stranger. She just waltzed into our lives no more than 24 hours ago, and everyone just adores her.'_

"Oh…" laughed Raven's rage. "Sounds like someone's jealous…"

'_I'm __not__ jealous.'_

"You were incredible!" beamed Beast Boy, who lifted up his hand to give Terra a high five, but then gasped as Terra suddenly hugged him.

"I did it!" she said happily. "You said that I could it and you were right!"

Robin rose from his seat beside Raven and made his way down to the others, while a love struck Beast Boy swooned and then collapsed to the ground. Raven however scowled and folded her arms.

'_Unbelievable…'_

"Jealous…" said Rage in a sing-song voice.

"Stop it, Rage," said Affection. "Raven is no such thing. She knows that the others will always be her friends."

"And Beast Boy?" smirked Rage, wagging her eyebrows, causing Raven to inwardly scoff.

'_Me? Upset about Beast Boy getting all Twitterpatted over Terra. Please…'_

The other emotions looked at each other while Rage chuckled, but before anyone could push the matter further, the tell-tale sound of trouble began to sound and simultaneously, Robin's communicator, Starfire and Raven's brooch, Beast Boy's belt buckle and the console built into Cyborg's arm began to flash and chirp.

"Ok, why is everybody blinking?" asked a confused Terra. Robin closed his communicator and started to walk towards the Tower.

"It's trouble. Titans, let's move."

Everyone with the exception of Terra nodded, and began to make their way back into Titans' Tower. Although she wasn't an official member of the team, Terra felt intrigued by the turn of events and quickly followed the Titans inside. The party of six made their way back to the common room, and after furiously typing into the big screen tv/computer screen console, the image of a man dressed in black armor, steel reinforcements, gloves and boots appeared. He also wore a mask that was a reddish-orange on the left side, black on the right and interestingly enough, there was no cutout in his mask for his left eye.

"Slade," declared Robin. "He's back."

"Slade?" questioned Terra. "Bad guy," retorted Beast Boy. "Way bad." A few keystrokes later, and Robin turned to face the team.

"Got a fix on his location. Titans, move out!"

Like a well-oiled machine, the Titans took off running (or in the girls' case, flying) to the nearby elevator, and Cyborg, Starfire, Raven and Robin took the first car down to the garage. Moments later, Beast Boy came down in the next car, and he was accompanied by…

"Uh, Beast Boy?" said Cyborg with a raised eyebrow, glancing over at Terra, who waved bashfully. "Don't," he interrupted. "I know what you guys are going to say. This mission could be dangerous, and to have Terra tag along is crazy."

"I would've went with stupid, but crazy works here too," quipped Raven.

"Beast Boy," Robin reprimanded as he approached the changeling, then looked over at Terra. "I have nothing against Terra, but she's not a member of the team. That plus the fact that we're going up against Slade, a terrorist who you never know what to expect from him, makes this a very risky scenario to drag her into."

"But there's safety in numbers!" cried Beast Boy. "And Slade won't be expecting Terra, who has experience in fighting, to be with us. We'll have the evident of surprise."

"_Element,_" groaned Raven. Robin sighed and looked back at Terra. The insecure stance that she once had had disappeared, and she stood at attention, looking rearing to go. Robin sighed once more.

"Normally, I wouldn't make such a decision, but time is of the essence, and we need to stop Slade as soon as possible. Looks like you getting a crash course in Heroics 101, Terra. Hop in."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Terra was a bundle of nerves. _'How could everything go so wrong so fast?_' she thought as she dodged, sidestepped and somersaulted to avoid a barrage of attacks. Her assailant was none other than Slade himself, and the pair found themselves duking it out in an isolated corner of a mine on the northwest of Jump City. Terra had originally arrived on the scene with the Titans to take out Slade's robots who were attempting to pilfer the mine's diamonds, and at first, the Titans had a handle on things. Even Terra was feeling triumphant as she took down robot after robot on her own. Then…it happened. The intensity of the situation brought the geomancer to her limit, and after struggling to maintain control of her powers, Terra inadvertently caused large sections of the mine's ceiling to suddenly cave-in. While this mishap succeeded in burying and destroying what was left of Slade's robots, it also allowed Slade to escape, not to mention burying Beast Boy alive, who to her dismay, was in his human form when he realized too little too late that he was in serious trouble. Mortified at what she had done and not being able to look the Titans in the eye, Terra ran deeper into the mine in hopes of escaping undetected. However, she soon spotted Slade dashing down an adjacent tunnel, and instead, redirected her attention and drive into pursuing Slade...

'_I may have loused things up before, but this time, I __won't__ mess up. I may have lost my chance to be a Titan, but if I catch Slade, at least maybe they'll forgive me. At least this time, I can be a real hero…'_

Unfortunately for Terra, Slade had somehow predicted that she would be reckless enough to attempt to take him on her own, and with a carefully placed explosive, he triggered another cave-in that trapped the two together and blocked anyone else from intervening. Now the petite blonde was literally fighting for her life, and she barely managed to roll out of the way to avoid another swing of Slade's staff. _'Oh god!'_ she thought as she huddled closed to the ground, her hands covering her head as she awaited the crushing blow from above when suddenly, her powers spiked, and a large chunk of rock launched its way at Slade, causing him to stagger backwards. Both surprised and relieved by the turn of events, Terra peeked over her makeshift shield to find Slade once again steadily approaching her. She climbed to her feet and summoned her powers to heave the boulder at Slade, but ever the resourceful one, Slade had instantly planted his staff into the ground and with the leverage, smoothly swung over the boulder. While he had succeeded in clearing the boulder, it did manage to break his staff and he turned to face his opponent.

"Impressive…unless, of course, you were aiming for me."

Slade casually dropped the piece of the staff he was holding and began advancing slowly toward Terra. Once again and in a panic, Terra scuttled away backwards and began to launch several mid-sized boulders at Slade, but several efficient punches and kicks by him rendered the projectiles useless and she collapsed to the ground in exhaustion.

"Back off!" she threatened as she leapt to her feet. "I'm with the Titans! They'll be coming to…"

"You don't belong with the Titans."

"You don't know anything about me!"

As this, Slade went into his pocket and pulled out what looked like a butterfly hairclip and Terra's eyes widened in alarm. "On the contrary, Terra," said Slade coolly. "I know everything about you. I've been watching you for some time. I know why you're always running away. I know your secret, little girl."

"No!" screamed Terra defiantly as she tried to bum-rush Slade, but he managed to quickly subdue her with a firm grip on her wrist. Slamming her back up against a nearby wall, Slade stared down at Terra, his lone eye boring into her startled face. "Earthquakes," he pressed on. "Avalanches. Mudslides. Everywhere you go, you try to do good..."

He then released his grip as Terra inwardly shrunk into herself, and he leaned in close to her. "…And everywhere you fail, so everyone turns against you."

Terra felt sick to her stomach_. 'How does he know all of this?'_ she thought miserably, turning her face away so that not only she wouldn't have to look at him, but to push away the depressing thoughts and bad memories of her past. But it was a vain effort on her part, and one dark memory in particular came surging forward in her mind. It was about two years ago in a small New England town called Pleasantview. The town had been experiencing several consecutive days with very heavy rain, which of course was a problem since it made the wooded areas surrounding the town more prone to mud and rockslides. The dangerous situation reached its zenith when a huge rockslide unexpectedly came crashing down on a residential section of the town, and Terra jumped into the fray in hopes that she could buy the residents some time to get to safety. Unfortunately for both Terra and many of the townsfolk that day, it was all too much happening all at one time. The elements were working against them all, and Terra just couldn't handle the strain of the task at hand and accidentally caused an even bigger avalanche, resulting in the death of over 200 people, including Scott, a friend of hers and two members of his family, and racked up millions upon millions of dollars in property damage. To make matters worse, the surviving members of Scott's family, (who coincidentally were also the ones who had taken Terra in during her stay in town), turned against her, and they instigated a town uprising to lynch her, forcing Terra to defend herself and in turn, take even more lives in order to be able to escape with her own life…

"You lack control, Terra."

Slade's voice brought Terra's thoughts back to the present, and she winced as Slade's hand came in close to her hair and gasped when he gingerly placed her butterfly clip back into her hair. "And when you lose control, you are more dangerous than anything I've ever seen."

There was something in Slade's voice that intrigued Terra and she found the courage to meet Slade's gaze. However not long afterwards, he turned his back to her.

"But it doesn't have to be this way. I can help you, child."

"…You can?" she asked in disbelief. In response to this, Slade bent over and picked up a small fragment of one of the rocks Terra have thrown at him while in battle.

"Right now you are...rough around the edges," he illustrated. "You need more than obstacle courses to overcome your problem." Slade then began to apply pressure on the stone and it started to crumble.

"You need a teacher, a mentor. Come with me, Terra, and I can teach you to shine."

Slade opened his fist to reveal a diamond in his palm, and Terra stared at the precious gem in wonder. _'Only one other person had offered to help me control my powers,_' she thought. _'And it turns out that she was just as clueless about my powers as I was. I doubt Slade is highly trained in geology or that he knows anything about metahumans, but he does seem to know a thing or two about training and gaining power and control, and I __want__ power and control…'_

She then looked up into his eye and drew back some. _'However, it doesn't take a blind man to see that this guy is also trouble…big trouble…and that's all I need right now is more trouble…'_

"But...my friends told me you're..." she voiced aloud.

"You don't really believe they're your friends, do you, Terra?"

"They took me in," she said softly, the doubt now both clearly evident and afresh in her mind. "Gave me a home."

"And when they find out what's wrong with you, they'll reject you, like everyone else."

"Beast Boy…"

"…can't keep his mouth shut forever. He'll tell them."

The memory of what happened back in Pleasantview came surging back once more, and Terra angrily balled up her now glowing fists, her growing anger causing the tunnel to begin to shake.

"He _promised_."

"He lied," retorted Slade casually, provoking Terra and causing her already weakened grip on her composure to completely crumble. Torrents of gravel, stone and dirt went flying every which way, and her impish face was replaced with a fierce scowl.

"Shut up! Just shut up and leave me alone!"

Terra's eyes, which also now glowed, shot open the moment she realized she was triggering another earthquake, and she dropped to her knees. "Don't lose control...don't lose control!" she chanted to herself, her hands over her head in an attempt to shield herself from the maelstrom of earth. "Now, Terra..." chided Slade, who even in the middle of such a precarious situation still managed to keep his head leveled and his voice as casual as ever. "...How can you lose something you never had?"

Terra screamed as the chaos of her powers going berserk went into full swing. The hazardous debris now circled her body and Terra began to levitate towards the center of the swirling vortex. "_No one_ else understands you, Terra," continued Slade from a safe distance afar. "_No one_ else can help you. I'll be waiting."

With that, Slade slinked off into the shadows, just like the many times he had done so in the past, but in her distressed state, Terra paid him no heed and remained in her huddled position. The sound of the fierce wind whipping around her was almost deafening now, but in her head, Terra could hear the angry voices and tormented screams of her past as clear as a bell.

"Terra! Terra!"

'_Wha…?'_

Terra felt the touch of someone's hand gripping her shoulder for dear life and snapped out of her stupor to see that it was Beast Boy. Seeing that he was struggling to hold on, she outstretched her hand and the two clamped onto one another.

"It's okay, Terra. I'm here. I'm here."

So many feelings came tumbling forth: relief, misery, hopelessness, and Terra couldn't hold back any longer. The tears poured forth and she collapsed into Beast Boy's arms. The whirlwind surrounding the two began to dissipate and they slowly descended to the ground, Beast Boy still lovingly cradling her in his arms.

"You won't…" she started to plead, but the look on his face conveyed that he already knew what distressed her so much.

"I'm not gonna tell anybody," consoled Beast Boy, who now cradled her head. "I promise."


End file.
